The Last Xion 1: LOTR
by Pangea Kaleb
Summary: A United States Marine gets trapped in the LOTR Universe and helps destroy Sarumon.Chap 1 Complete. Chap 2 Coming Soon!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with LOTR, **

Notes: This is going to turn into LOTR's I promise, I just had to introduce my main guy :). Chapter two will explain a lot, this story modifies the story of lotr majorly by adding a new person the fellowship and the main plotline. He will help at defeat the Balrog, defend helms deep, face the ringwraiths and much more. I hope you enjoy my original story and idea. Book 1 of my trilogy: The Last Xion: The Third Age by Mark Sterrett

Prologue:

The Last Xion: The Third Age

**The Last Xion**

The helicopter rotor rumbling overhead echoing through the valley below, most likely alerting the enemy of our approach. This was no ordinary mission though, but a soldier has to do what he has to do. It was the first thing any good soldier has to learn, what he has to learn to be an effective killer...

Back a couple of years ago, I would have believed and done anything my commander told me to believe or do, because a soldier has to do what a soldier has to do. The red faces in front of me lit up by the ready light had no emotion, just the same look they had shown throughout battles long since past. The blackhawk swayed back and forth as the wind josseled the vehicle.

The man to my right named Yuri, a man about my height but with extreme dark black hair and black eyes, a man whose saved my ass and a man whom I have saved on an occasion, a man I've known for almost my entire career with the United States Secret Tactics and Operations Force also known as the clean up squad to the veterans of the squad, a man who was retiring after the mission was a success would be sorely missed by the entire squad. Yuri was the demolitions operative of our squad of twelve men, he had been doing operations since he was twenty-five, and that's saying a lot.

To be eligible for the clean up squad you had to be top of the line in almost every field you can think of. The United States government sends scouts to almost every single major high school to look for people that shine above the rest. Not even Delta force goes through the rigorous training that we have to go through, its almost a form of mind control. Six years of intense high level security training using forms of mind manipulation and the latest educational techniques. The ones that do not make it through the training end up in looney bins because of a complete brain shutdown. Out of a class of three hundred and ninety-one recruits, only about one forth of them make it to the end. The rest either transfer to a lower qualifying branch like delta force or leave the government completely to try and rebuild their lives.

Growing up, I graduated from Derby High school in Derby Kansas. The day I received my diploma a man came up to me and threw out his hand to greet my own. I returned the gesture and inquired as to who the man was, he simply replied "The names Luke". Little did I know why he had picked me out of the crowd, but eventually I would find out. He instructed me to show up at a unmarked building in the heart of Kansas city. Luke told me it was an opportunity of a lifetime and it couldn't be passed up, I wish now that I did. I arrived at a tall building with a blue taxi cab in front of it like Luke said there would be. I studied the inside as I walked in, their were no markings or anything visibly inside. I wondered what the deal was when the ground in front of me parted slowly revealing a stairway leading down in a spiraling curve. As I placed my foot on the first step, the room below was lit up in a blink of an eye revealing an elevator. I walked over to the stainless steel doors and hit the button, a tinkering hum could be heard from below as it lifted the platform. The doors opened to reveal a circular area with a small bench inside, I entered and the elevator automatically lowered. For what seemed like an eternity the walls in front of me moved upwards as I moved downward. As I reached the bottom, their were at least thirty other people their, ranging from whites to blacks, Hispanics to Asians. Every type of person in the world could be found in this one room, interestingly enough they just sat there looking at me probably thinking the same thing I was, "You too huh".

We all boarded the silver steel train that was sitting on the edge of the room, it wasn't like any train I have ever seen, the insides were meant just to hold us in our seats with no luxuries anywhere. Luke came out of the front of the cabin to look at who had shown up, he gazed at me for a moment then moved his gaze to the others as if to approve the group.

Luke opened his mouth and had a gesture on his face like he had just been laughing, "We will be leaving shortly, if anyone has doubts about this its not to late to catch the elevator to the surface." Luke turned around and punched a button on the wall revealing a cockpit with extremely high tech looking equipment, whoever these guys were they definitely had there hands on some money.

Kalebs eyes hit a couple others but nobody to my surprise sat up and left, it almost raised a smile to my face. I looked threw the window located in front of me to see the train start moving forward. The tunnel was dark, but lights lit the side every couple miles. The lights started going by faster and faster until it almost seemed as a light blur. The train was going at unheard-of speeds, I was getting nervous to say the least as were some of the others.

A couple minutes later the lights started flashing again notifying us that the train was coming to a halt. We arrived in a brightly lit room surrounded by men in white suits. I didn't know what to think, had we been chosen to undergo some sort of test or training. As soon as the first of the recruits stepped out of the train he was met with a bunch of white robes and escorted into a room to the right.

As we all exited the vehicle being scanned by weird devices and sent either left, front or right. The doors had letters marked on them directly above the handles, A for left, B for front and C for right. I was chosen to go threw door C after about a minute of scanning and prodding. I entered the door escorted by the white robes and was instructed to sit down next to a few men already seated.

Although I didn't know it at the time, Yuri was also in the room with me. Almost three hours later by the clock on the wall and a man in a black trench coat walked in holding a professional looking briefcase. The room looked like a classroom I had been in while in English, the front was littered with chairs and desks and the main desk was located in the direct center. The trench coat man walked to the front of the room and stood behind the desk scanning a his prey before he sat down. None of us knew what we were in for, but this trench coat man a.k.a._ destroyer of lives_ was about to show us our destiny.

The man hit a couple buttons located at the front of his desk, causing a series of screens to be lowered from panels to the right and left of the man showing pictures of weaponry and unusual armor suits. He spoke in a clear and serious tone of voice stating that we had been chosen to participate in a top secret project code named Project STO.

We were chosen because we exhibited the brightest minds and most fit physique of our age group. If we were to proceed we would be sent to a boot camp located three hundred and twenty-four miles off the California coast line to an unmarked island. Of course being the ignorant cocky man I was back then I instantly wanted to be apart of it.

A month went by of tests and inoculations. I asked a couple times what the shots were for but they answered with the same thing each time, I'm on a need to know basis, and I didn't need to know. After the preceding tests some were chosen to go back home and some were chosen to stay and continue with the project. Yuri and myself were the only two men to make it out of C room, there were about forty other people that we saw walking to the train that would take us to the nightmares to come, Yuri and myself had become quite fond of each other. We shared many things in common, as our love of guns and cars. Just two average guys thrown into the twist of things thanks to Uncle Sam. I keep forgetting to _thank_ him for everything he's _helped_ me through.

When we arrived on the island we were instantly greeted with not more white robes, but men in camouflage uniforms, our "mothers" for the six years we would be there. I don't remember much of the training, all I can remember is the numerous times I had to go into a white room and put on special goggles that appeared to show nothing threw their lenses. Little did we know that it was a new technology that allowed the government to _download_ programming into our heads like we were machines.

Six long years of programming taught us to be perfect killers, training in the most deadly of arts, the most stealthy of movement. The fastest way to kill a man was to lacerate his throat followed by a upward heave of the fingers in the jugular causing the neck bone to snap off the skull, all of it happening within a fraction of a second.

The latest innovation our dear uncle invented was the integration of nano technology into our battle suits. Our suits looked nothing like any Ops force anywhere. Our helmet was less than a inch thick and could stop a armor piercing round from a hundred feet away. It housed infrared and night vision sensors which were viewable threw a eye piece that lowers over the right eye, which also could be transferred into a map which satellites constantly update using infrared imaging to pinpoint the exact location of enemy soldiers and target friendlies to let us know not to shoot.

Our basic suit was a mixture of nano fibers and nano optics. The nano fibers acted as a secondary muscle set which enhanced our strength by almost two fold and increased our speed to up to twenty-six miles per hour. The nano optics were interlaced within each fiber and faced outward, nine mini camera's located on the back of the helmet relayed information to the suit which enabled you to almost perfectly blend into your environment. The battery for the suit was rechargeable two ways, one by the movements by your body releasing heat which the suit transfers to energy and the second way is by being in the sun which charges on two collectors located on your soldiers which looked almost just like shoulder pads. The suit was made to heat the body in cold temperatures and cool the body in extreme temperatures. Although its armor protection is no more than steal intertwined in the fabric it relies more on the users actions to protect it rather than its technological advances.

Every S.T.O. soldier was armed with a semi-automatic mini version of the m16. It was a much more advanced version in that its rounds were almost unhearable ripping threw the air at subsonic speeds, and its scope was wirelessly connected to the soldiers head gear. It made looking around corners much easier and safer.

By the end of training, my Russian friend Yuri and I had become good friends and never let each other down. By the time our first mission came up, Yuri automatically signed both of us up for it thinking it was time to test our abilities. The mission was simple, assassinate some European official, we didn't care what he did; a soldiers got to do what a soldiers got to do. We were on a need to know basis and we didn't need to know, so when we arrived in Paris and assassinated the man, I thought I would feel compassion but the only thing I felt was accomplishment...a sad thing for a person to feel.

Accomplishing my mission was the only thing in my mind, it was what they had fed to us for so many years. Nothing else matters, get the job done and get it done as fast as possible. Hundreds of missions went by, killing hundreds of individuals for the sake of accomplishing a mission and not a single shred of emotion filled my head. Sometimes I wondered if Yuri felt anything but I discarded the thought as soon as it came up, a soldier doesn't think about what somebody is thinking, a soldier must accomplish his mission. Those words would haunt me for the rest of my life.

A new mission was in the makings, the last mission of Yuri's career. We were to rescue a team of scientists studying some type of physics on an island located on the equator in the middle of the Pacific. Some terrorists decided that they wanted to technology for themselves and took the most brilliant minds the United States has to offer. Estimated time of arrival was around five minutes so I unhooked my two side arms and dislocated the magazines to make sure they were in perfect order. I had done this thousands of times before, but I didn't think it would hurt to do it again. The helicopter came to a halt and the door opened revealing a lush green jungle, the night air swarmed in and attacked our faces like a cloud of bee's stinging our faces with heat.

Each man jumped down and landed on the ground and silently and swiftly moved into a defensive position gun raised. I was the second to last out of the chopper, the last being Yuri. I hit the ground the nano fibers kicking in cushioning the landing to a small strain on my legs. I moved into the forward position telling the alpha team to move ahead while the bravo team take the right flank.

Four teams of three men struck out into the jungle heading for the compound located in the center of the island. Charlie and Delta teams led by me and Yuri flanked the left and would lay down suppressive fire if Alpha encountered any resistance. As the teams moved up, I signaled for the teams to activate infrared and camouflage. The teams became one with the jungle, each as ferocious as a rabid wolf in a room full of sheep. The infrared picked up two terrorists outside the compound heading for the southern shack, they would run into Bravo if their path was constant. Charlie and Delta moved forward moving with swift and silent footsteps, the door suddenly opened and a single terrorist came out gun lowered at his side. I signaled Yuri and his team to take the flank and move into fire position while Delta moved to the side of the building to lay a trap for the rest of the terrorists.

The man walked out into the clearing lighting a cigarette and gazing at the stars above, I trained my gun on his right arm and released a bullet from its metal shell inside the guns chamber causing it to tear directly into the mans arm almost ripping it off. The man screamed in pain and about twenty men came running out of the compound and Yuri gave the order to commence firing. With almost perfect timing Bravo and Alpha had advanced up to the forest edge and began firing into the frantic men. The terrorists fired randomly into the jungle not knowing where its attackers were hidden.

A bullet bounced off my helmet but didn't phase me from my train of thought. A second later the last of the terrorists fell to the ground, body limp. Yuri instructed his squad to move inside and secure the prisoners while Alpha and Bravo would set up the landing beacon for the blackhawks to pick them up. Delta and Charlie decided it best to locate the backdoor of the building and enter threw there.

We found almost no resistance inside the building besides a couple ak-47 armed men with something to prove. Yuri's squad stumbled upon the experiment room where supposedly top secret projects were going on. We didn't care, we just needed to get the mission done. Charlie and Delta both entered the experiment room expecting large resistance but only found a single tied up scientist. Yuri rushed to untie the helpless man, when unplugged the scientist began talking as fast as he could.

The man was in afraid of something, kept saying dimensional rift overload over and over. Yuri tried to make out what he was saying and tried to calm him down.

The scientist began talking in plausible words, "They activated the Dimensional Rift Accelerator!" Yuri tried to ask him what it was and what it did but the man kept repeating it over and over. I could tell it was bad but I didn't know how to proceed. I picked the man up and started escorting him out of the building, he instantly lunged out of my arms and for once spoke in clear understandable words, "You don't understand, its going to destroy the universe! It can't be stopped!".

Yuri rushed over to the man and lifted him off the ground and threw him onto the wall, "Tell us what it does or we leave you here."

I had never seen Yuri act so violently and emotionally, the scientist started explaining how the machine was made to target locations on the Earth and revert them to a time when it was plush with jungle and life. It was a super weapon that turned back time, and it was going to go off.

Yuri held him tighter, "How do we turn it off!"

The scientist instructed Yuri that they couldn't, that the terrorists had done something to it...changed it somehow. It wasn't going to revert the planet back in time, it was going to shift everything in a jumbled mix-match of clutter. Yuri looked and me and I knew what he was thinking, he had enough explosives on him to blow the complex sky high.

It took less than twenty minutes to jury rig the machine which was now on a countdown from five minutes. The team evac'd the compound with the lifeless bodies of forty-some scientists. The blackhawks came down along with a chinook and the team started loading everything up.

The timer was now at less than thirty seconds, Yuri began to close the hatch as the scientist they had found lunged forward and exited the vehicle and ran towards the compound. Yuri ran after him followed by me, they would need to evac in less than twenty seconds if they would make it in time.

They entered the experiment room to see the scientist in the cradle position on the ground crying. Yuri grabbed him and dragged him out of the room easily.

Then a call came threw the headset on both their gears, "Nuclear detonation in ten seconds." HQ had overheard the entire mission and decided it was best to nuke the site with its men still on ground.

Yuri looked at me and I did the same, they had abandoned us and would cover it up. The machine lit to life in the other room and a white light broke there the wall and door enveloping both of the men. I had thoughts of my life flashing threw my head all at once, I had guessed I was dying but something didn't feel right, not like dying. A second later a huge explosion could be heard overhead then my entire view faded from white to black.


	2. Addition to the Fellowship

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with LOTR,**

**Notes: This is going to turn into LOTR's I promise, I just had to introduce my main guy :). Chapter two will explain a lot, this story modifies the story of lotr majorly by adding a new person the fellowship and the main plotline. He will help at defeat the Balrog, defend helms deep, face the ringwraiths and much more. I hope you enjoy my original story and idea. Book 1 of my trilogy: The Last Xion: The Third Age by Mark Sterrett**

**Prologue: **

**The Last Xion: The Third Age**

**Chapter 1**

**Addition to the Fellowship**

Gandalf and the fellowship continued on their path along the pass of Caradhras as a frail voice approaches them carried on the wind. Legolas's elven ears automatically picked up the voice and Gandalf cleared his throat and listened closely to the voice.

Gandalf looked back at the fellowship, "Its Sarumon!"

A lightning bolt struck the top of the mountain causing hundreds of pounds of rock to tumble down upon the group missing them by mear inches. Aragorn pleaded with Gandalf to turn back but the grey wizard would not be swayed from his preset path to Mordor. Gandalf stood atop a mound of snow and began to chant his own spell into the wind canceling out Sarumon's almost completely but a bolt of lighting struck the top of the mountain and snow toppled onto the fellowship, barring them in white tufts of snow.

The fellowship struggled to free themselves from the white grip of the snow as Boromir begged Gandalf to go threw the gap of Rohan, to take the ring to the Gondorian city of Minas Tirith. Aragorn instantly broke into his speech declaring it would take them too close to Isenguard.

Gimli jumped into the conversation with the proposition of going under the mountain instead of over it, threw the dwarf mega-city of Moria. Gandalf pondered about why not to go threw Moria for fear of what creature the dwarfs awoke when they dug deep into the caverns of Khazad-dum. The creature of fire and shadow, the Balrog.

Gandalf looked at the freezing hobbit before him, and spoke in clear understood words, "We will let the ring barer decide."

Frodo stood still for a moment then released his breath of the darkness of his mouth freeing words that would haunt Gandalf, they would go threw the mines of Moria. Gandalf took a step forward as another bolt of lighting struck just in front of the grey wizard, this one not causing any damage to the mountain but something else happened. What it left behind was a mystery in itself, a man was laying on the ground his body appeared unharmed from what they could see.

Gandalf stood forward to view this newcomer when Aragorn began to speak, "Who is it" he asked the grey wizard.

Gandalf stood in awe as he looked upon the man, he was covered in unusual clothing with metal trinkets hanging from all sorts of bands.

"I don't know, but we take him with us." Boromir intruded and stated several reasons not to bring the man, one of which was that he could be a follower of Sarumon.

Gandalf heart could not sense anything good or evil about the man so the fellowship crafted a makeshift carrying device to aid in their endeavor to carry the man down the mountain. A day past and the man still lay in slumber, not moving an inch as the fellowship approached the last known entrance of Moria.

As they moved over a large cliff of rocks Gimli announced they had reached the walls of Moria. The unconscious man began to toss and turn as his body slowly started to wake. Gandalf didn't feel anything malicious coming from the unknown man, but he was careful all the rest never letting an eye stray from his body.

As the fellowship searched the great wall of Moria for the entrance that even its own masters had long since forgotten about, a stray stream of lunar moonlight hit the splashed against the wall and revealed a white glowing door with the words "The doors of Durine, Lord of Moria speak friend and enter".

Aragorn and Boromir laid the man on the ground as Gandalf tried numerous spells in numerous languages but the doors did not respond. Sam and Aragorn discussed the situation with Sam's horse Bill, and decided it was best if the horse traveled back to the Shire due that the mines of Moria were unfit for a horse. Bill trotted away as Merry and Pippin threw rocks into the placid swamp, disturbing the creatures from the murky depths.

Something eerie moved about covered in the shadowy waters, Aragorn quickly halted the two hobbits instructing them as not to disturb the water. Boromir stood watching the waters as it swayed from the creature beneath it. Gandalf sat down, disturbed by the fact that with his vast knowledge he could not unlock a dwarven door.

Frodo studied the elven writing repeating it in his head over and over which inevitably struck a light somewhere, "It's a riddle, Whats the elvish word for friend?" Frodo said impatiently. Gandalf without moving an inch spoke the words clearly, "Bella". The doors to the depths of Moria opened revealing a dark and dank room which no light could penetrate.

A foul air rushed to the fellowship making them quiver with disgust. The fellowship began to walk into the mine unsure of what they would find, Aragorn and Boromir carrying the stranger on the stretcher.

Gandalf lit the way with his magical stone revealing a tomb of skeletons, both dwarf and goblin. Ax's broken, arrows splinted the fellowship looked in horror at the sight before them. Gimli took as a personal blow as his cousin was a royal dwarf among the great city.

Legolas quickly raised his bow as Aragorn and Boromir laid the stranger down readying their weapons for a battle they were ready to win. Boromir made a quick plead with the fellowship about taking the gap of Rohan but was quickly cut off by the hobbits screaming in back of them. They quickly raced to aid their friends to see that Frodo had been attacked by a ferocious sea creature. Legolas quickly fired a bolt directly into the creatures tentacle releasing Frodo of its grip, but it quickly resolved the situation and grabbed Frodo with another tentacle. Boromir and Aragorn both ran into the swamp swinging at the frantic tentacles latching onto Frodo.

Boromir with a swift hit cut Frodo loose and caught him when he fell. Gandalf screamed for everyone to get into the mines when his voice was cut off by a loud intense sound coming from behind him. Gandalf quickly turned to see the man they had saved from the mountain holding his metal trinket and doing something with it while aiming at the creature, a yellow blaze coming threw the end of the metal.

The bullets from the gun pierced the creatures head and he didn't stop depressing the trigger until the creature moved no more. The fellowship moved into the cave as the last attack of the sea creature caused the entrance to collapse in on itself. The fellowship sat in awe at the man they had saved had single handedly killed the monstrous creature by using the magic in his hand.

Gandalf quickly recovered and asked the man his name, "Major Kaleb Tillich of the United States Special Tactics and Operations Squad" Kaleb replied looking in confusion at the people in front of him.

Aragorn came forward with his sword aimed at Kaleb'ss throat, "Friend or foe?" he simply asked his sword raised to Kalebs head.

"Friend, friend! now get that out of my face" Kaleb pushed the sword down.

Aragorn lowered his sword and bowed his head slightly to show his respect, "I am Aragorn of the Dunedane". The rest of the fellowship introduced themselves to the oddly dressed man, asking questions about his origins and weaponry.

Gandalf looked at him in puzzlement, "Where did you say your from again?" Kaleb simply stared back at him in confusion, who hadn't heard of the United States?

"Major Kaleb Tillich of the United States Special Tactics and Operations Squad." Kaleb replied once more still puzzled at the situation.

Gandalf reared his head and gruffled under his voice, "Never heard of the United States my friend"

Gandalf recalled how they had found him, laying in the snow miraculously transplanted from the sky from bolt of lightning.

Kaleb frowned, "Where am I?", Gandalf answered his question with a not so great enthusiastic voice, "The mines of Moria, in the mountain range of Caradhras located in Middle Earth." Kaleb felt a cold shudder rise up his spine, he had never heard of the mountain range, or the mines. He recognized one part of that sentence, and it was Earth.

Gandalf looked at him, "How did you get here my friend?"

Kaleb replied giving the story of his mission, what there objective was and what had happened with the machine. The fellowship stared at him as if he was deranged but Gandalf quickly stood up looking as if he understood everything, "Nothing happens by mistake my friend, that includes your arrival."

Gandalf reached forward to study the trinket that the man had, and asked what it was and how it brought the beast down in seconds. Kaleb gladly explained only to further their confused faces, but he was sure they got the jist of it, that it fired metal the same way a bow fired wood.

Kaleb asked equally important questions such as who they were, where they had found him and if they had found another man like him. Kaleb learned of their fellowship and understood they were on a pilgrimage to destroy a ring for some reason. It must be pretty important to have nine companions guarding just one ring.

They had found him on the cliff side and didn't find any other man like him. Kaleb guessed Yuri was either dead or left behind in his Earth. Kaleb asked to join their journey and the fellowship turned to Frodo once again, Kaleb had assumed that this person, that was no taller than a sixth grader, was the leader even though the tall grey man was leading them threw the mines.

Frodo decided it would be fine for the man to join their fellowship and their numbers increased to ten. Gandalf began walking towards the entrance his staff lighting the way revealing more and more skeletons in their path, "Quickly now, it's a four days journey to the other side, and hopefully our presence will go un-noticed.".

The fellowship moved through the caverns, following the narrow paths for miles seeing thousands of cave formations and long since used machinery that the dwarfs used when mining their precious minerals, one of which was mitheril.

Mitheril is the most valuable of minerals among Middle Earths various elements. As strong as the hardest metal and as light as the lightest feather. Gandalf told of stories of old to aid in dispatching time from their path as they continued to the bridge of Khazad-dum.

The fellowship grew to like Kaleb as their journey threw the mines continued, they listened to many stories of missions he had been on, everyone asking questions constantly. Eventually the fellowship came to a three-way entrance, and Gandalf could not remember which path was the correct one. After many hours of talk and discussion about Kaleb and his former missions, Frodo noticed that down in the deep caverns a ominous creature was stalking them, Gandalf instructed Frodo that it was Golum and he had been following them for many days now.

Frodo began arguing that his life should have been taken by Biblo's blade many years ago, but Gandalf's heart swayed Frodo's view as Golum has still a part to play in this world, for good or evil.

Kaleb walked to the three doors and felt a draft come in from the farthest left door, Gandalf apparently felt it also as he sat up and walked towards the door telling the fellowship that sometimes they just needed to 'follow your nose's' and they decided it would be best to try this road praying it was a correct choice.

As they entered the grand city of the Dwarves, Kaleb stood in complete awe at the shear size of the pillars holding the millions of tons of stone from falling onto them. They continued their journey threw the mega-tropolis till they reached the tomb of the dwarve lords. Gimli who was taken by shock ran to the singled out coffin of the departed lord of Moria and wept tears of pity upon the tomb.

Gandalf had picked up the last journal of the city and began reading it. It told of the Dwarfs and their battles with the goblins and the demon of fire. It told of the non-stop drumming of the goblins as they approached the fair city. They were cut off, and the new lord of Moria had it; the mountain within its firey grasp of shadow. Pippin who was studying the skeleton of a long since dead goblin sitting atop a well accidently knocked it into the void below. The sound of the armor hitting the side of the caves echoed threw all of Moria for what seemed an eternity waking something in the deep. The fellowship listened in worry for what the fool had done, and might have caused.

The drums, Kalebs ears began hearing things as a constant slow beating of drums rose in the dead air striking fear into their hearts. Kaleb ran to the door where Boromir was already located to see two bolts strike the door with rapid succession. Boromir closed the door as Aragorn came to help brace the door. Kaleb raised his assault rifle, training it on the door before him while Legolas and the hobbits threw weapons to the two rangers barricading the door. Boromir stood backwards and sarcastically stating that the goblins had commandeered a cave troll. Kaleb didn't know what they were talking about, but he had a good idea in his head what the creatures they were protecting against looked like. Ten magazines for the assault rifle left, not including the current magazine, it would be enough he hoped.

The doors began to shake and shudder as ax's and swords pierced its wood hull. Legolas and Aragorn started firing arrows at the gaps with perfect accuracy, whoever these people were they were well trained in the arts of war.

Kaleb raised his gun and began firing single rounds into the holes where he spotted movement. A second later the doors gave in and the goblins poured in. The fellowship ran to meet them head on while Kaleb stayed back and picked off the creatures one by one as they approached him. From what he had seen, this world wasn't as advanced as his Earth so he would need to save all the ammo he could, not like there's a ammo depot around.

A magazine ran dry and the goblins still poured into the room, within a second Kaleb slapped a new magazine into the chamber without checking for sand and began taking aim at the creatures that were attacking the hobbits. They were having the most trouble so Kaleb took aim and took out one creature at a time, not letting a single bullet miss.

Aragorn and Gandalf looked at amazement at the efficiency of Kalebs weapon. Three bullets left, Kaleb readied another Magazine as a gigantic creature smashed threw the doorway wielding what appeared to be a small pillar started swinging away at his new friends. One bullet let, Gimli, the dwarf warrier who Kaleb had came to admire over the last couple days threw his ax directly at the troll with pierced its left arm but didn't even phase it.

It lunged at Gimli but Kaleb reacted too fast and poured bullets into the trolls legs hoping to draw attention away from his small friend. Gandalf was doing a fantastic job of defending himself using his staff and a long sword. Kaleb had never seen such a battle before, he had wondered if he had been transported into the far past before even dinosaurs had existed, yea right.

Before he could continue his thought, the troll was rampaging him swinging its large pillar in every direction hitting goblins on the way. Kaleb motioned to the left which caused the troll to swing ahead to hit him, but Kaleb nimbly dodged to the right and shot a round directly into the trolls head causing it a moment of pain. The troll turned its attention to the closest hobbit and began thrusting its large burly body out at him. Before it could crush the vulnerable hobbit, Aragorn and Boromir both tugged at the trolls chains linked to its neck canceling its attack on the defenseless hobbit causing the troll to retaliate by thrusting Boromir into the nearest wall.

Kaleb picked off a couple random goblins before noticing that the troll had turned its attention to Frodo, the barer of the one ring. Kaleb ran at a swift speed and slammed into the trolls back as hard as he could causing the troll to stumble into the stone pole mounted in the ground to the ceiling making it crumble. Merry and Pippin stared at Kaleb in astonishment, that a man of his size could knock a troll down with his raw strength.

Before Kaleb could recover though, the troll swapped his hand back with monstrous speed hitting Kaleb square in the chest knocking him back into the wall behind him. Kaleb almost instantly recovered from the hit, the suit had taken most of the blow. Aragorn came in with a trident type weapon and stabbed the troll in the chest causing it to be unable to move. The troll mustered the strength and knocked Aragorn back against the wall, then it rushed to Frodo with the trident and thrust it into his chest, two bullets left.

Kalebs eyes widened as he flipped the assault rifle to full automatic and slammed a new magazine home then unloaded every bit of ammo he had into the back of the troll. The troll spun around screaming in agony, the blaring sound of the gun drowning out Kalebs loud scream. Blackish blue blood streamed from the amount of damage the troll had taken, it was a wonder how it was still able to stand. The two hobbits, Merry and Pippin, managed to jump on the creatures back while it was distracted and stab it consecutively. The troll stumbled about, giving out final screams as Legolas threw an arrow directly into its head.

The troll fell to the ground causing the entire room to shake. Kaleb dropped the empty clip and loaded a new one, _only six left_ he thought to himself. The fellowship stood resting for a moment, reflecting on the won battle when they realized that Frodo had been stabbed. Aragorn was the first to respond lifting the hobbit onto his leg, Frodo gave out a large inhale as we looked in surprise, Gandalf approached Frodo trying to figure out how he had survived. The young hobbit opened his shirt to reveal a silverish-white chain-mail which Gimli had explained, Mitherial. The trident had not even scratched the hobbits hidden armor. The fellowship recovered from the hidden delight of the unharmed Frodo and continued their journey with haste speeding out of the fallen tomb.

They raced into the halls of the dwarf city towards the bridge of Khazad-dum, and the end of their journey threw the inners of Moria. The goblins drums started beating faster and faster deepening the fellowships pace as they raced across the open path. Goblins raced after them, increasing their pace as they went.

Hundreds upon hundreds of goblins started flooding out of the ceiling. Kaleb looked up to see that the ceiling far above them was moving, then he realized it was the goblin army. Kaleb yelled to pick up the pace just as the goblins managed to cut them off from their exit. The fellowship moved into a circle, facing all directions as their last hope of escape was gutted from them. Kaleb reached for a flash-bang grenade, readying it.

But before he could warn his friends of his plan, a dull roar could be heard in the distance, a vile monstrous sound that brought about a spike in Kalebs heart rate. The goblins surrounding them looked around frightened at what it could be. Kaleb stared into the deep reaches of the hallways to see a wave of orangish red light moving among the statue like pillars. With a second louder roar the goblins retreated back into the depths of Moria for fear of annihilation from this new demon. Boromir stood still in fear, "What is this new devilry".

Gandalf looked into the distance as the malicious glow claimed more distance between them only paused by the numorous pillars clouding its monstrous body.

Gandalfs worst fear had come to be, "A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world...This foe is beyond any of you...We must run!"

The hobbits stood still in fear of what to come when Aragorn and Legolas pushed them along. Kaleb was already at the door waving for them to go in, when a flame shot out from behind a pillar which almost looked like a sword. Without even thinking twice, Kaleb darted threw the door last and followed the warriors. Boromir, who had almost fell into the chasm below was caught by Legolas and pulled up before his fall to doom was at hand.

Gandalf reached the entrance to the Khazad-dum tunnels last and was met with Aragorn, "Lead them on Aragorn, the bridge is near", Gandalf paused for a moment trying to catch his breathe then looked at Aragorn who was waiting for Gandalf, "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here".

The fellowship ran down the stairs when another loud roar in the distance could be heard then the entrance in which they came threw was cracked and shattered from the Balrogs onslaught. A six foot gap in the stairwell leading to the bridge was met with arrows as goblins archers attacked from a distance. The Balrog roared again, still out of sight as half of the fellowship had made it across the small gap. Legolas had provided arrow cover for the men while they leaped over the gap. Aragorn had to toss the hobbits and the dwarf refused to be thrown. Another loud roar and a gigantic piece of stone from the ceiling fell and hit the narrow stairway seperating Aragorn, Kaleb and Frodo from the rest. Kaleb grabbed Frodo and threw him across to the others before the gap became to big. The stairway staggered back and forth until Aragorn shouted for them to lean forward, as they did it rested for a second on the bottom half of the stairwell buying enough time for them to jump off before the broken piece fell into the fiery chasm below.

As they exited the stairwell and into the final stretch onto the bridge, fire began leaking upwards from the depths below. The Balrog was gaining ground fast, Gandalf halted for a moment as the fellowship ran on as the Balrog leaped out of the inferno below and landed on the ground its smoke billowing off its body into the air around it. Kaleb shot a glance back as the demon gave out a enormous battle-cry aimed solely at Gandalf immense heat spraying forth from its mouth.

The creature was massive, with a wingspan that of a cargo plane and two huge bulky horns penetrating from its temples curving down in a forward manner. Its eyes were the brightest of whites and its nostrils and teeth were only visible threw the fire in its body. Its body was charcoal black covered in flames burning as if they had just been lit. The creature inflamed itself as if it was showing how powerful it could be.

Kaleb readied his nitrogen grenade hoping it would have some effect on the massive beast, although he doubted it would. The fellowship hit the extremely narrow bridge and one by one they ran across hoping to make it in time. Kaleb turned around to see that Gandalf had turned around and was facing the Balrog. Kaleb yelled for Gandalf to run after them, but he did not answer.

Gandalf in a loud determined voice yelled to the vile beast, "You cannot pass!".

Kaleb stood in amazement at the wizard. How could a man take on a beast like that, Kaleb nodded and unhinged his nitrogen grenade hoping it would be enough to sway this demon from their path.

Kaleb pulled his arm back, Aragorn looking at him and he thrust the grenade at the fiery demon. The grenade exploded on contact and enveloped the beast partially in frozen state. The beast gave out a loud roar and lit its body with incredible heat that the frozen parts of it quickly drifted back to normal. Kaleb cursed himself and raised his gun and began firing, the bullets seemed to have no effect on the creature but he didn't stop. Kaleb wondered how his life had turned a complete one-eighty. The clip ran dry and the Balrog remained unphased. It lifted its arm and a sword of fire emerged from within his grasp. Frodo frantically yelled for Gandalf, but he still would not reply.

Again Gandalf spoke to the creature this time in a manner of spell, "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, FLAME OF UDUN!"

The Balrog thrust his sword down upon the barrier Gandalf had errected around himself. Kaleb fell backwards against the wall staring in awe at how a man was taking on this creature of darkness by himself and holding his own. The creature gave out a extremely loud yell, flames extruding from its mouth and the fiery mane on its back grew to enormous heights. The creatures sword somehow turned into a whip of sorts, slapping it around getting ready to strike Gandalf down.

Gandalf filled with anger and hate spoke once more to the creature, "Go back to the shadow" The creature challenged Gandalf once more and took a step forward, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Gandalf yelled as loud as he could while holding his staff and sword together then forcing them to the ground with great haste.

A white aura exploded from within the bridge and the Balrog fell into the deep darkness below. Gandalf turned to face us as the demons whip gave a final strike to the victorious wizard knocking him from his parch. The creature faded from view as Gandalf held on for his life on the edge of the bridge. Frodo who had tried to run to Gandalf was held back by Boromir, Gandalf looked once at his companions and spoke his final words, "Fly, you fools!".

With that Gandalf slid in the void along with the Balrog leaving his friends behind to suffer the journey alone. Frodo collasped in tears screaming Gandalfs name as Boromir forced Frodo to his feat to get out of the cave. Kaleb grabbed Sam and pushed him onto the stairway out of Moria, the hobbit trying to escape his firm grasp. Arrows hit the side of the wall as they entered daylight for the first time in almost five days.

The fellowship rested on the rocks, unable to stop themselves from mourning their fallen comrade. Kaleb who had seen many of his soldier fall in combat felt something new come to his mind, sadness. Kaleb had forgotten this emotion, the government had forced it out of him and he was not so glad to get it back. Aragorn imediatly insisted they should move on while Boromir argued for a moments peace. Kaleb agreed with Aragorn and sat them straight and raised Merry and Pippen from their falling tears. Legolas and Gimli helped Sam as Aragorn searched for Frodo. Kaleb's eyes fixed onto him, he looked as if he could fall into death and it wouldn't matter. Kaleb had seen the look many times before, but had never thought this sad about it. Kaleb helped the hobbits up and the group raced for the borders of Lothorian.

The fires from below sinnged Gandalfs face as he plumeted threw the darkness only guided by the creatures flames. Gandalfs sword glimmered in the Balrogs aura and Gandalf quickly recovered it as to battle the Balrog once more. Gandalf tightened his body causing him to catch up to the falling demon and slashed at the creatures face causing an intense scream of pain from the Balrog.

The Balrog managed to get a hit on Gandalf right before it smashed into a enormous abrasion in the wall which caused it to tumble uncontrollably. Gandalf quickly regained his stature and continued his assault thrusting his sword into the mighty beast spewing forth sparks of pain. Many rocks came in succession throwing Gandalf and the creature in a constant stream of twirling and twisting. As they approached the bottom they reached a vast underwater lake, as vast as the eye can see and as dark as the lowest regions of Middle Earth. They continued their fight even until they're bodies met the water below. For eight days and nights Gandalf fought the balrog in the deeps of Moria until they made it onto the tallest tower in the lowest dungeon.

There Gandalf and the voracious beast finished their duel, Gandalf thrust his sword into the sky calling forth a bolt of lighting into the sword. Gandalf with all of his might aimed for the creatures heart and thrust it in as hard as he could. The light from within the Balrog extinguished its flame and it fell backwards onto the snowy cliffs below. Gandalf who had been physically worn from the battle fell backwards and his life faded to white before his eyes.

The fellowship ran until there very hearts were paining there stride. Kaleb looked forward to see a giant forest approaching them. Kaleb felt an odd presence among the forest as they entered, as if something was watching him staring into his very soul. Kaleb bearly overheard something Gimli was telling the hobbits about, something of a forest nymph. The rest he couldn't make out. Aragorn pushed forward followed closely by Legolas, Kaleb had cut his pace in half to allow time for the hobbits to catch their breathe. A half an hour went by and still no sign of this elf kingdom Aragorn had spoken of in Moria. Supposedly the elfs were the first born species on Earth, but if that were so why hadn't they existed in Kalebs time line. These were matters he would have to sort out later. Up ahead Kaleb thought he saw the glimmer of armor, but with a flinch of his eye it was gone. Aragorn must have seen it too because his hand was already reaching for his blade.

I turned and staring me in the face was a metal arrow point shaped to kill. They had surrounded is in seconds and I hadn't even noticed. Whoever these people were, they were organized and experienced in tactics. A man that looked much like Legolas walked forward, my gun trained on the nearest person. Aragorn spoke in a non english tongue to the leader and the men around us lowered their bows. It was then I realized they were elfs, their pointy ears gave it away.

A day went by, and I still didn't know where we were going. We had been traveling on a half-hidden road taking us over and under trees, through the branches and under the ground. My mind drifted to the creature of flame and shadow that had taken Gandalf into the deep dark caves below. As my mind drifted away from the now, we approached a clearing on a ledge in which a gigantic hill covered in what seemed like redwoods stood out like a cat in a dog show. The sun shown so brightly that I had to squint my eyes because of the magnificent sight. It took about two hours just to reach the tree covered hill.

That night we were scheduled to meet with Galadrial, the queen of the elven kingdom. Hours went by and still no sign of her, I had to park myself on a tree stump which really wasn't my idea of a Hilton. Finally we were summoned to the court of Galadrial, upon approaching the stairwell, I was stopped by an elf.

"You may not attend this meeting outsider, we are unsure of your part in this world as of yet." He said. I simply stood in wonder trying to figure out why I didn't belong here. After all, I helped defeat the sea creature, I defended the hobbits in Moria. I even tried to match the Balrog.

Aragorn cut in before I could speak, "He fought with us in Moria, he has earned our trust. Let him pass." I looked to my left to see a women walking towards us, a impossibly beautiful women. She was definitely an elf, and there was something about her. She stared at me, almost as if she was looking threw me and in me. A voice entered my head that very moment, it was a blinding sort of scream but it didn't hurt. She spoke of my past, of the men I had killed. It was then I passed out.

My eyes opened slowly revealing a blue sky, but it wasn't sky it was forest. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I sat up, and my eyes focused. There was a sooth melody in the air, almost a song but the words were unmarkable by my ears. It was so soothing, almost as if a weight had been lifted off my back. I sat back and listened for hours on end eyes closed ears attune to everything around listening to the melody.

That night I was unable to get any sleep, my mind was too focused on the voice that was in my head. I stared endlessly, mind drifting away from me. I momentarily glanced over at Frodo who apparently couldn't get any sleep either. His mind must have been drifting as well, probably on his fallen mentor Gandalf. I had bearly knew Gandalf and even I missed him, so it had to be unbearable to Frodo and the rest. Frodo sat up, catching my attention once more. He walked past me and the others not stirring their sleep. He walked down the grassy path out of sight, for a second I thought about following him but thought it best not to. I hadn't exactly been the most wanted company around since I arrived. Before I realized it I began to fall asleep, and then it was dark.


End file.
